My first student and Tenor Guitar

[MartinTaylor]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and thought I'd post some pics of the first Tenor to come from the workshop. I have traditionally built acoustic guitars in the standard shapes and sizes but I decided to take on my first student builder and he wanted to build a Tenor. I wish I had discovered this forum first! Anyway, after drawing some plans the end result is really pleasing. He did a great job on the build.

Specs are:

Back and sides - Tasmanian Blackwood
Top - Cedar
Bracing - Cedar (top), QLD Maple (back)
Neck - Recycled Cedar
Fretboard - Gidgee
Bridge - Gidgee
Rosette - Tasmanian Blackwood

I'm happy to supply the plans we drew up in PDF format if anyone wants them.

[ambrosepottie]

Beautiful. I'd love to see the plans. What is the scale?

[MartinTaylor]

Beautiful. I'd love to see the plans. What is the scale?

Thanks.

The scale length is 23" and the plans are here. They are in PDF format at actual size. I got them printed at a local OfficeWorks store on one of their plan printers for about $3 each. They are my first plan drawings so feel free to let me know what you think. The bracing could probably thin down a bit but the guitar sounds good so far.

[MartinTaylor]

For those wanting a video/sound sample, this is a very short iPhone vid. Already starting to open up a bit.

http://martintaylorguitars.com.au/vi...nor_sample.mp4

[Beanzy]

Nice Job & I love the effect of the large dark binding.
It has a new but old-fashioned look to it that really suits.

[pfox14]

A really beautiful looking TG. Great job. Love the choice of woods.

[icuker]

Very nice sound to the instrument and it looks very good too. Thanks for sharing!

[Gregory Tidwell]

Nice work. May I ask though, on your guitars do you put your whole name, "Martin Taylor?" Not that it would cause any confusion, but it would be interesting.

[MartinTaylor]

Thanks everyone.

Nice work. May I ask though, on your guitars do you put your whole name, "Martin Taylor?" Not that it would cause any confusion, but it would be interesting.

I do on the label that I put on the inside! I have an icon/logo that I want to inlay on my headstocks but haven't done so yet. And, yes, I have had many comments about my name being rather appropriate for a guitar builder. I don't think my parents had any idea when they combined them. My brother is also in the music business and has had to deal with the Taylor surname confusion too.

[Charles E.]

A very nice looking Tenor Martin! You do realize you are open to lawsuits by the two largest guitar makers in the USA because of you name, do you not?

[MartinTaylor]

Hi Charley, fortunately my birth name in Australia protects me.

It is legal to trade under you birth name here and for a company to prevent you their name must pre-exist your birth date (which they both do) and be exactly the same as your name. Fortunately, Martin and Taylor individually only make up 50% of my name and therefore don't qualify. If both of these companies merged and then attempted to sue based on their new company name (Martin Taylor), they would fail as the new name would only have existed after my birth date and my trading name would pre-exist theirs. Also, in Australia, you can't trademark a "common" name. You can trademark a logo of a name (which both Martin and Taylor have done) but the name "Martin" and "Taylor" are considered too common to trademark. I found this out by trying to trademark "Martin Taylor Guitars" as text only. I can do it as a logo though and am in the process of trade marking my icon.

And I thought all of this was just meant to be a bit of fun playing with some wood in my shed! haha

[bmac]

That is a fine looking and sounding instrument. You and your student have a right to be proud.

[John Kelly]

A lovely instrument, and many thanks for the link to your pdf plans.
The guitar in my avatar is my first tenor guitar, built because I hadn't tried one then heard Jill McAuley playing one here on the Cafe!

[mmcadory]

Beautiful. Sounds great. Any closeups of the rosette? It sparkles and catches my eye in your vid but there's not an good shot of it.

[MartinTaylor]

Beautiful. Sounds great. Any closeups of the rosette? It sparkles and catches my eye in your vid but there's not an good shot of it.

Because you asked so nicely...

The rosette is Tasmanian Blackwood that was leftover from the back and sides. It catches the light beautifully when played under lights.

[Eric F.]

That's a lovely instrument, Martin.

[wistah]

Beautiful guitar! Thanks for the plans and the video.